Jesus said, at the end of last weekend’s gospel, “Whoever does not accept the kingdom of God like a child, will not enter it” (Mark 10:15). Then, as if on cue, a man ran up to Jesus, knelt down before him as asked, “Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” (10:17) This question is similar to that which is on every person’s heart. As Mary Healy summarizes it, “What is the meaning of life? What is my ultimate aim, and how do I attain it?... How do I enter the kingdom of God?” (The Gospel of Mark, p. 202). Jesus tells him to obey the commandments, which he says he has observed from his youth. Then as Jesus was looking at him, he “loved him, and said to him, ‘You are lacking in one thing’” (10:21).
What was Jesus looking for with love in that young man? What is He looking for in us? Childlike trust. Since this man “had many possessions” (10:22), perhaps we could paraphrase his thinking this way: “I’ve secured the things I need in this world. I’m independent and in control. I’ve observed the commandments since my youth. But I’m wondering if there’s something more I must do to control my eternal destiny.” Jesus looks at him with love and wants him to inherit eternal life. He doesn’t want him to work so hard, because the kingdom of God is a gift. He must stop trusting in his own efforts, in his own possessions, in himself, and learn to trust like a child in the love of his heavenly Father. So Jesus says, “Go, sell what you have, and give to the poor and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me” (10:21). Translation: “Let go of the things to which you are attached and attach yourself to me. Trust that I am the way to eternal life, which begins when you surrender control and receive it as a child.”
Jesus did not ask all his followers to sell their possessions. Martha, Mary and Lazarus kept their home in Bethany, as did Peter and his wife in Capernaum. But He asked this wealthy man to give up his possessions because they were keeping him from trusting God like a child. Do you want to inherit eternal life in the kingdom of God? As Jesus looks upon you with love today, does he see a disciple with childlike trust in the goodness of your heavenly Father? Or does He see you lacking in one thing? Is there something that represents your desire to remain in control? Children are sure of, at least, one thing: they are not in control. They must trust in their parents (or other adults) to give them what they need.
This gospel invites us to let go of whatever is keeping us from following Jesus with trust. This weekend and next weekend or parish is offering a great opportunity to respond to this invitation through our annual Stewardship of Treasure. Money is one of those things that can give us a sense of security, independence and control. If we become overly attached to it, it can keep us from trusting in God as His beloved children. The spirituality of stewardship that emerges from the Bible encourages us 1) To embrace our identity as God’s beloved children; 2) To see all the good things we have as gifts from God, and offer Him our gratitude; 3) To return a portion of our gifts to God as an expression of our gratitude, with trust that He will continue to provide for us; and 4) To do all this as an expression of our love for God and our neighbor.
So today, I ask you to think of the gifts with which God has blessed you. And I ask you to pray about how God is calling you to say “Thank You for these gifts” by offering a portion back to the Lord. The practice of Christian stewardship encourages us to offer a tithe of 10%, although it can be less or more than that depending on one’s circumstances. The tithe is considered to be the total amount of our charitable giving of which it is recommended that 5% be for our local parish, 2 ½% for our diocese, and 2 ½% for any other charities. But all these numbers are not as important as the spirit with which we give.
I encourage you to embrace stewardship of treasure as a way to thank God for the gifts of His love, to express your trust in His ongoing provision, and to share your love with our parish community and other worthy charities. The mission of our parish is “to proclaim the greatness of the Lord, and to accompany our neighbors to the heart of Jesus.” To continue to pursue our mission we need financial resources. And if our resources increase, there is so much more we can do to serve you and our neighbors. So please take a pledge card home with you this week and pray about how the Lord is calling you to share your treasure during the coming year (January – December). Then, with childlike trust, complete the pledge card, bring it back next weekend and place it in the baskets to be offered to God during Mass. (Or you may mail it to the church.)
Let us unite as God’s beloved children, sharing our gifts with each other as we follow Jesus into eternal life! Thanks.